In a videoconference ceremony that connected Hawaii, Chile and the National Science Foundation headquarters in Arlington VA, the three teachers from East Hawaii met their colleagues in Chile. In April, the Hawaii teachers will travel to Chile for two weeks and in October the Chilean teachers will visit Hawaii. During each visit many community/educational events are planned as well as videoconferences between students in both communities.

Mayor Harry Kim spoke at the ceremony. “This is an unbelievably exciting program, not just for these teachers, but to their students and schools and to our communities,” said Mayor Kim. “As a celebration of the Sister City relationship between our communities, I cannot think of a better way to share our Aloha.”

It is anticipated that Mayor Kim or one of his staff will join the teachers in Chile during their April visit.

This is the second time Gemini has sponsored the StarTeachers program between Hawaii and Chile. During the first exchange in 2003, teachers presented lessons topics ranging from hula, telescopes and Polynesian voyaging. Using videoconferencing students were able to exchange ideas, culture and even favorite songs. The 2005 teachers have already begun working on lesson plans and activities for their exchanges later this year.

The StarTeachers exchange program is sponsored by the Gemini Observatory in an effort to share the culture and science of both communities that hose Gemini facilities. In 1994, Hawaii County and La Serena Chile were officially recognized as Sister Cities and this program was developed as part of that relationship.

Dr. Wayne Van Citters, Director of the Astronomical Sciences Division at the National Science Foundation (NSF) also participated in the celebration today via videoconference from his office in Arlington Virginia. “The StarTeachers program is doing something that may not be apparent at first glance, it is inspiring our children to aim high,” said Van Citters. NSF provides almost half of Gemini’s funding.

Journalists are invited to attend the ceremony on December 9th starting at 8:30 am at the Gemini Headquarters in UHH’s University Park. Broadcast quality video will also be made available upon request. Please contact Janice Harvey at: (808) 974-2603 for more information.

The Gemini Observatory is an international collaboration with two identical 8-meter telescopes. The Frederick C. Gillett Gemini Telescope is located on Mauna Kea, Hawai'i (Gemini North) and the other telescope on Cerro Pachón in central Chile (Gemini South); together the twin telescopes provide full coverage over both hemispheres of the sky. The telescopes incorporate technologies that allow large, relatively thin mirrors, under active control, to collect and focus both visible and infrared radiation from space.

The Gemini Observatory provides the astronomical communities in six partner countries with state-of-the-art astronomical facilities that allocate observing time in proportion to each country's contribution. In addition to financial support, each country also contributes significant scientific and technical resources. The national research agencies that form the Gemini partnership include: the US National Science Foundation (NSF), the Canadian National Research Council (NRC), the Chilean Comisión Nacional de Investigación Cientifica y Tecnológica (CONICYT), the Australian Research Council (ARC), the Argentinean Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación Productiva, and the Brazilian Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação. The observatory is managed by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc. (AURA) under a cooperative agreement with the NSF. The NSF also serves as the executive agency for the international partnership.